A Legendary Cure
by Frozen Archer
Summary: The paths of a young yet powerful trainer, a protégé with a knack for tracking myths, and a thief with a new and powerful position seem unlikely to cross. However, a pirate captain with a score to settle and a love for adventure and fame may just bring them together in search of a cure when the land itself grows ill.
1. Prologue

_**Oh look, another story... My other one may go on a partial hiatus as I'm losing interest in actually posting it here, at least for now. This one I actually know exactly where it's going which is a nice change. That, and I can't get this idea out of my mind. And I want to play with different POVs.**_

_**Few notes:  
-Given this is about pirates I'm not using the modern Pokémon world.  
-In relation to the above, there will be three 'kingdoms'. Johto and Kanto will be in one kingdom.  
-Poké Balls will be used in this story, though most technology will not be.  
-I'm not using the regions like Almia or Oblivia as I just don't know enough about them.  
**_

* * *

_**Prologue **_

**Ever Grande City, Hoenn**

An exhausted looking Wingull fluttered down to land on the ledge of a windowsill. Clutched tightly in its beak was an envelope, stamped and sealed with a gold emblem. Its wings shifted only slightly as it hopped off the ledge into a grand room.

Blue and silver tapestries hung from the walls, each one telling part of an ancient story. Sea blue carpet ran through the center of the room, starting at a massive set of doors inlaid with silver inscriptions and ending on the top step of a raised dais at the other end of the room. At the top of these steps was a single chair, bearing the same silvers and blues as the rest of the room. Smaller matching chairs lined the wall on either side of the dais; however, these ones were occupied.

Ten people sat with their backs straight and their gaze directed towards the grand doors. They wore matching robes of sea blue with silver lining. The group was mostly male, all with shaven heads. The two women that held seats within the room had grey hair tied back in tight, neat buns.

At the opposite end of the room the eight foot tall doors were opening, revealing the two soldiers responsible for their movement. With the doors now open, both soldiers stood to the side.

A third figure came into view, the thick cape that hung from his shoulders and just brushed the ground matched the tapestries it seemed. His clothes underneath the cape were entirely black and a silver crown rested atop his greying head. He entered the room in silence, his stride showing power and a strong determination. The people that had been sitting before now respectfully stood, their gazes focused on their king.

He walked to the end, ascending the dais and taking his seat. The people, his advisors, sat down as he did. The soldiers pushed the doors closed; now standing within the room so that they could guard their king.

It wasn't until the blue and white pokémon collapsed that anyone took note of it. One of the soldiers left his post to attend to the Wingull. He picked it up carefully and removed the letter from its beak. Upon handing the letter to the nearest advisor he carried the bird pokémon across the room to a door hidden behind one of the tapestries. He opened the door and passed the exhausted Wingull through to a servant that was stationed in the hidden room.

While the soldier was doing that, the advisor had opened and read the letter. Worry replaced the emotionless expression as he passed it on. The letter made its way to the king, who read it over carefully. When he had finished reading, he folded the letter up and sat in silence. A frown was etched on to his face as he thought.

"Sire, we must do something," one of the advisors said after a moment of hesitation.

"I agree, this is not something that can be ignored," their king said finally, rising back to his feet.

"What can be done though? The land itself is sick!" a second advisor spoke up, sounding as though he'd already given up.

"There has to be a cure," one of the female advisors assured them, rising to her feet as well. After a moment, the rest of the advisors were standing as well.

"There is, but it is not in this region," the eldest of the advisors said after a moment of silence. His frail voice was hard to make out from a distance, but most heard him.

"How do you mean?" the king questioned, looking at his elder with both respect and concern.

"There is a pokémon not of our region that can heal the land of this disease," he answered, his voice becoming slightly louder.

"That's a myth," one of the younger advisors said, his voice over-powering the elder's quiet one. "We can't rely on myths and children's stories to protect our people."

With this, everyone began talking at once. There were two clear sides, both of which wanted to make their thoughts on the matter clear. A third group questioned both.

"Silence!" the king said over the arguing.

"King Emery, nothing within our borders can eradicate this disease." The second woman looked directly at her king, daring any of her fellow advisors to argue with her. "I say we send search parties for _a cure_." She avoided specifically mentioning the pokémon.

"We should contact King Nathaniel and Queen Adrianna, they may know something of this," another advisor added.

The king nodded slightly at each suggestion before raising his hand for silence. "Selma, you will send word to the captains of our fastest ships. Make no mention of any legend, but request that they search the other regions for a cure. Kale, I want troops organized and sent to all of our cities. People will turn to crime as things become more desperate, and there will be more pokémon attacks. I will send word to our neighbours."

"Sire, what about Captain Greyson?" one of the advisors questioned.

"No," he stated, sounding almost angry at the suggestion, "I will request nothing of that criminal, not after last time. If anyone sees that ship, they have full permission to sink it."

"But sire," the advisor started.

"I said no! Now do as you've been told," the king demanded, knowing he wasn't being entirely fair to his advisors. "Now we must decide on a reward for _when_ someone is successful."

**Cameran Palace, Kanto**

A steady roar filled the large stadium. Every seat was full, and everyone was cheering. Green and red banners were strung up above, criss-crossing in the sky over the stadium. Several officials stood down below, off to the side of the battlefield that was painted on to the hard ground in the middle of the stadium.

The door at the north end of the stadium opened, revealing the silhouette of a person. They walked out of the shadows to the edge of the battlefield. The person, clearly male, was dressed in red with a black cape that fluttered out behind him. Dark hair framed a pale face and piercing eyes. He stopped within the borders of a box that had been painted on to the hard-packed ground. Much to the crowds delight, he raised his right fist to the air as he looked around at the audience.

"Ladies and gentleman, and our royal highnesses, please help me welcome Sir Samuel of Kanto, our reigning three time champion!" The announcer had trouble making himself heard, and the last of his sentence was entirely drowned out by the cheering.

The door at the opposite end of the stadium opened revealing a second male. Where Sir Samuel was confident, this man was determined. He was dressed much like his opponent, except his clothes were green and his cape was white. His brown hair was cut short and he was tanned from time in the sun. He stood in the painted box opposite Sir Samuel, his gaze trained on his opponent.

When the roaring had died down the announcer continued, "And the challenger, Sir Weston of Johto!"

The officials stepped forward, all holding various flags. The head official raised a blue flag, signalling to the crowd that he'd just ordered the two trainers to choose their pokémon.

There was a flash of light on either side of the field as the two men opened their Poké Balls. Before Sir Samuel stood a massive brownish-orange pokémon with green wings that was easily taller than any human. It flapped its wings and roared, further exciting the crowd. On the other side of the field was a second massive pokémon, only slightly shorter than its opponent. The armour that made up its body was polished so that the sun glinted off of it and the spikes that protruded from its back and shoulders.

When the official had finished explaining the rules to the two trainers, he brought the flag down and stepped back.

"Dragonite, use Aqua Tail!" Sir Samuel yelled out, starting the battle with a clear display of confidence.

The large dragon pokémon launched itself forward, water materializing behind it and swirling through the air around its tail. It approached the opposing pokémon with immense speed, something that had helped him to defeat his previous opponents with ease.

"Brace yourself and use Stone Edge, Tyranitar!" Sir Weston called out.

The massive armor pokémon planted both its feet firmly, the ground below it vibrating slightly when it stepped down. The air around it glowed as multiple jagged rocks formed. Dragonite was almost upon him when the rocks shot out, slowing the winged opponent down and causing it to falter slightly. The two crashed, Dragonite's tail slamming into Tyranitar. Tyranitar was knocked back a ways from the impact. Dragonite landed hard on the ground, shaking off the impact from its opponent's Stone Edge.

Above the stadium a large blue and white pokémon was diving down towards the battlefield. It avoided the battling pokémon, flying directly to a separate viewing box on the first level of the stadium. Two guards rushed forward, prepared to protect the occupants of the viewing box from the foreign pokémon that was landing on the ledge. The large bird opened its massive beak, revealing the letter it had been carrying. Immediately after the guard had taken the letter from the pokémon it flew off, heading in the direction of Mt. Silver.

"One of Emery's messengers?" the woman that had been sitting within asked calmly. She shifted her red dress and leaned forward to take the letter from her guard.

"I would assume so. A Pelipper, I think it was," the man seated beside her replied. He wore a matching robe of red, and both had golden crowns seated atop their heads.

The door to their private box opened and a flustered looking soldier hurried in, further taking their attention away from the tournament going on below. He carried his helmet under one arm and his face was streaked with dust.

"There's been an attack at Cianwood City. Wild pokémon are over-running the city as we speak. They're requesting our help," he said, after taking a deep breath.

"Send the Grey Squad out there," the woman said as she unfolded the letter to read.

"Yes, Queen Adrianna! Thank you, ma'am," the soldier said, bowing slightly. "King Nathaniel, sir," he added with another bow before taking his leave.

"What does Emery have to say?" King Nathaniel asked, his gaze on the letter instead of the battle that was still going on below.

"All of the plant life in Hoenn is starting to wither, he's described it as a disease spreading across his land," Queen Adrianna responded quietly, re-reading the letter to double check that she had definitely read that. "Nathaniel, the disease is already in Johto," she realized, looking up at her husband with surprise and what might have been fear in her eyes.

"Cianwood," he murmured, coming to the same realization. "Send a scout to check the land around Cianwood City," he ordered one of the guards, who hurried out immediately. "We have to be sure that that's the reason for the attack before we jump to conclusions."

"No one in Hoenn knows what to do; they're sending ships to find a cure," she added, glancing back at the letter.

"We need to do something about this," King Nathaniel stated. "And we should send word to our neighbour, whatever this is could spread into Sinnoh."

Queen Adrianna rose from her seat, causing a noticeable change in the stadium's atmosphere. Much of the audience had noticed the goings-on in the king and queen's private box and quieted down when their queen rose. Down below, Sir Samuel and his Dragonite had also noticed. Sir Weston and his Tyranitar took advantage of their lack of attention to launch a powerful Hyper Beam directly at Dragonite. The dragon pokémon was launched backwards, hitting the wall and collapsing to the ground.

Tyranitar stood in the center of the battlefield and roared until both trainers returned their pokémon to their Poké Balls. The three time champion of the tournament bowed to the new victor, though the disappointment was evident in his expression.

The royal couple exited the box to deal with the new development, ignoring what had happened below.

**Eterna City, Sinnoh**

The sky was darkening over the city as the sun set. Lamps were being lit in the streets below and most well-to-do citizens were either heading home or already inside of their homes. Above the city the shape of a large bird could be seen as it soared lower and lower over the streets and buildings.

If anyone were watching, they would see that it was heading to the north of the city. Towards the largest structure, which just so happened to be a small castle. With the fading light, it was hard to make out the exact colours, but it was clearly made of a dark stone. Several of the rooms had lamps lit inside, allowing for the light to shine out through the windows. It was also one of the few buildings in the city that had actual glass windows instead of just wooden shutters to keep the elements out.

The large bird pokémon landed on one of the window ledges, a letter clutched in its talons. It peered through the window with dark, unreadable eyes. After a moment, it tapped on the window with its long beak until someone walked over and opened the window for it. It picked up the letter in its beak and hopped down into the room.

The person that had opened the window reached for the letter, but the long-necked brown pokémon jerked its head away and glared at the human. It had been trained to deliver mail to the exact person it was supposed to, and that training was quite clear in that moment.

A young girl walked into the room, looking as though she'd just been preparing herself for bed. Her hair was down and brushed out, but it was clear from the creases that it had been up all day. She was also wearing a simple light green dress with sleeves that went down a little bit too far and restricted the use of her hands.

"What's going on in here?" she asked, stifling a yawn as she studied the vicious looking bird that had entered the room.

"It has a letter, but won't hand it over," the man who opened the window replied, clearly irritated with the pokémon.

The pokémon studied the girl momentarily before walking over to her, its head bobbing slightly as it walked. Upon reaching her, it reached up and placed the letter in the girl's hand.

"Sir Roderick, you don't happen to have any treats for this Fearow, do you?" the girl asked, scratching the Fearow on the top of the head.

The man she'd referred to as Sir Roderick reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small bag. "I have a few left," he replied, emptying the remaining treats into his hand and offering it to the pokémon.

The Fearow took the treats with a distrustful look at Sir Roderick. It then headed back to the window and jumped out of it, disappearing into the night.

"Would you fetch my brother, please?" the girl requested upon opening the sealed envelope.

"Of course, Princess Natalia," the young man responded, hurrying out of the room.

By the time Sir Roderick returned with the young man that was Princess Natalia's brother she had finished reading the letter. The young man looked somewhat annoyed at having been called to the room at such a time.

"You both need to read this," the young woman said, handing the letter to her brother. "And try not to look so irritable, Liam," she added.

Prince Liam grumbled something unintelligible before taking the letter. He read it quickly with Sir Roderick reading it over his shoulder as well.

"I doubt it will spread here," Prince Liam said, clearly ready to brush off the threat of a disease that could destroy their land.

"We should at least prepare ourselves, sir," Sir Roderick said, much more concerned than the young prince.

"I agree, and we can't stand by and do nothing. We're going to be affected by this whether we act or not," Princess Natalia said.

Prince Liam frowned slightly, clearly not impressed at being out numbered. "Fine, but what can we do?"

"We can start by sending people to Canalave City. If anyone has heard of something like this before it'll be one of the elders living there," Sir Roderick suggested.

"Our largest port is there as well, if we need to send out ships or take any in. It will also be among the first cities affected if the disease does make its way here," Princess Natalia added, agreeing with Sir Roderick.

Prince Liam still seemed irritated that they were even going to involve themselves, but even he had to admit it was a good place to start. "Alright, but most of this can probably wait until tomorrow, correct?" He wasn't actually looking for an answer, as he turned and walked out clearly meaning to go to bed.

"Sir Roderick, I want you to personally travel there. I trust your judgment on these matters," Princess Natalia said when her brother was gone.

"Of course, milady, I'd be honoured to go," Sir Roderick responded, bowing slightly.

* * *

_**I'd love to hear what people think!**_

_**As a side note, I will be accepting OCs. Not until the first chapter is posted, though, and there will be a form that must be used.  
If all goes well, I'll be posting Chapter 1 at some point over this weekend.**_


	2. Chapter 1

_**Well... it's definitely not the weekend anymore... I'm going to avoid saying when I'll update from now on, methinks...**_

* * *

_**Chapter 1**_

A small rowboat cut through the calm sea waters that made up Route 131. With the sun in the middle of the sky and not a cloud in sight the water seemed to sparkle as it reflected the harsh light. The pokémon that called the area home were enjoying the nice day. Several Wailmer were drifting casually not far off and every so often a water-type would leap out of the water and land with a splash. The occupants of the rowboat, however, were not enjoying the weather nearly as much.

There were three of them in the small boat, all of whom were drenched with ocean spray and the two that were actually paddling had begun sweating long before. Shirts that had once been white were plastered against their skin by the saltwater.

The first of the rowers was a large and well-muscled man. It was clear that he had gone bald as he aged despite the grey Monmouth cap he wore on his head. The man paddling beside him was smaller in size and clearly younger in age, but easily as muscular, if not more. Unlike the first, his skin was much darker from sun exposure and he wore a dark blue bandana instead of a cap. Both men rowed in silence, ignoring the third man in the boat who continued to tell his stories despite his companions paying him no attention. Being in his early sixties he was much older than his companions. With the amount of sun and work he'd seen throughout his life he looked even older, though. The long hair he kept back in a ponytail had turned grey long ago and the silver hoops through his ears had faded to a dull grey as well.

"Tha' pod of Wailmer o'er there travels through this 'ere area e'ery year, I swear. I followed 'em when I was but a lad once. Oh did my ma' e'er 'ave a fit o'er that one. She fed me nothin' but sour-tastin' berries fer a week, she did," the grey-haired man rumbled cheerfully to his companions. Using a hand to shade his eyes from the bright sun he watched the round, blue pokémon from his seat at the back of the rowboat. "Bet ya' coulda made e'en tha' taste good, Cedric."

The larger of the two rowers glanced back at his elder with a small smile, but otherwise did not respond to the compliment. A large shadow passed over the boat and blocked out the sun at that moment. All three men glanced up in time to see the light grey-blue underside of a pokémon as it soared over them to land in the water only a few meters ahead of them. It hit the water with a small splash and floated there for a moment. The pokémon used its tail as a rudder to turn around and face the small boat, and so that the person riding it could face the three in the boat.

"Oh for Arceus' sake… What do you think you're doing, Sketch?" the younger rower shouted, shooting an annoyed look at the young man sitting on the Mantine's back.

"Same as you, Sean, except faster, much more enjoyable, and none of Janek's stories," the young man shot back as his Mantine swam over so that they were alongside the small boat. He seemed quite pleased with the reaction he'd gotten from his fellow crew members.

At the young age of twenty, Sketch, as he was called, did not share much in common with his older crewmates. In comparison, he was a lot smaller with his lean build and wiry muscles, though he certainly competed with them for height standing at nearly six feet. He'd slicked his messy, light brown hair back and tied a silk bandana around his head to ensure that his hair stayed out of his eyes. Unlike his crewmates he could never have passed as a sailor, not the way he was dressed with a gold-coloured waistcoat over a black puffed-sleeve shirt. All of which had been taken from the unlucky merchant who had happened to be on the ship they'd captured only two months earlier.

The man, Sean, just shook his head and kept rowing. He listened carefully for any sign that Sketch, or more accurately his Mantine, was going to try anything else, though.

"Boy, 'ow much time do we get 'ere today?" Janek asked. Nothing Sketch said could ever ruin the older man's cheerful mood, no matter how irritating or rude it might seem to others Janek could shrug it off.

"However long Cedric and Sean take to get what they need," Sketch replied easily, sarcastically adding, "So probably all day." When he received a questioning look from Janek he answered properly. "Captain Greyson gave us two hours, but I want us heading back to the ship in about an hour."

Several small buildings came into view as they rounded a rocky pillar that stuck out from the water. There were several small boats docked in among the buildings as well. The buildings themselves floated on small rafts and were connected by floating docks. Many of the buildings were still in the process of being built, and there was no sign of any of the region's soldiers. The kingdom refused to accept the floating village as a town yet, despite the fact that the first building had been built over a decade earlier making it a fairly safe place for those considered to be criminals.

Sketch glanced over at his crewmates with a grin before looking ahead again. "Let's go, Hurricane!" he said to the Mantine.

The two sped off in the direction of Pacifidlog Town, leaving the three to follow along at a slower pace.

* * *

**Twelve years earlier**

Both sides of Canalave's well-known canal were bustling with people. Several ships had come into port and the merchants had set up their stalls where they could hawk their wares. Customers of various social statuses walked in among the booths, studying what was offered by each merchant. Every so often guards could be seen walking the streets and watching for crime.

A small girl only seven years of age walked among the crowds of people, clinging tightly to her father's hand. Her wide blue eyes were filled with amazement and excitement as she took in her surroundings. Not only was it her first trip to the yearly market, it was also the first time she'd been away from home.

The pair approached a small stall run by a man wearing clothes of rich purples and reds. On the makeshift table before him lay a variety of well-made, brand new Poké Balls fashioned from apricorns.

"Stay right here, Alex, I will only be a moment," the little girl's father told her, leaving her to stand on her own at the end of the table while he went to barter with the merchant.

Unsurprisingly, Alex grew bored quickly and her mind and gaze began to wander. Her gaze quickly landed on a small brown pokémon with big ears and a fluffy tail. She almost squealed in excitement and began walking away from the booth where her father was. She followed the pokémon through the crowds though she quickly lost sight of it and stopped. Despite not wandering very far, she had managed to completely lose sight of her father and had no idea where she was. At the moment though, what she cared about were all the amazing booths around her.

Alex caught sight of a stall off to the side with a table that had various round objects on it. Curious, she walked over to the table, not noticing that there were less people in this section of the market. Now that she was closer to the table, she saw that the round objects were all sorts of pokémon eggs. The closest egg to her happened to be small, light brown, and covered in tan specks. Like most children, she couldn't help but reach out and pick it up

A rough hand gripped her long black hair and pulled her back from the table. "Don't touch those," an angry voice snapped. The other hand belonging to the person reached out and ripped the egg from her grasp.

Alex shrieked with pain, and then again with fear when she looked up and saw the large man standing over her. A large scar ran down his tanned cheek, mangling the right side of his face. To her young mind, the man was like some horrible thug or pirate from one of her mother's stories.

The man's hand fell away from her hair as he himself was ripped away from the ground and lifted into the air. A few meters away stood what appeared to be a plant, except with eyes and a mouth. Vines had sprouted from its body and wrapped around the man, lifting him straight up and away from the little girl.

Alex ran to her father, who stood beside his Carnivine and glared up at the man who had harmed his daughter. He took a moment to hug and comfort his daughter, who had started crying, before ordering the pokémon to drop the man. He fell through the air a short ways to land on the hard ground. The egg he'd previously been holding fell from his grip and was caught by one of Carnivine's vines before it could hit the ground.

"I should have you arrested," Alex's father threatened, fairly certain that not only was the man a criminal but that the eggs on the table had not been acquired legally.

"No, no, it's just a misunderstanding!" the man said, panicking. "Keep the egg! A gift." He'd picked himself up and backed towards the table.

"Get out of here. If I ever see you again I'll be sure to turn you in myself," her father threatened. In truth, there was a very slim chance he would be able to get the man arrested. The guards were far too busy with more serious crime in and around the market to deal with this.

Alex watched as her father collected the egg and recalled his pokémon. Together, the two of them left the market area, the little girl clinging tighter than ever before to her father's hand.

When they were farther away from the crowds, her father stopped and kneeled down in front of her. "I want you to take this," he told her, handing her the brown speckled egg. "If you protect it from all the bad people in the world, one day the pokémon inside of this egg will be able to protect you."

**Three years earlier**

"Are you sure about this, Alexandra?"

Alex sighed slightly and looked her mother in the eyes. "Yes," she stated simply. She turned back around in her chair and waited for the sound of the scissors.

It took a moment longer for Alex's mother to finally make up her mind. She lifted the black braid that fell halfway down Alex's back and began cutting the base of it with the old scissors until the mass of hair fell away. Her head was left feeling much lighter without the long hair weighing it down.

Several minutes passed as her mother began cutting what remained of Alex's hair. It wasn't until the young girl's hair was half an inch in length that she stopped. When Alex turned around, there were tears in her mother's eyes. They'd disagreed and fought for several weeks over the girl's decision. The older woman was devastated with her daughter's choice, but after a while she'd realized that it was pointless to argue with the headstrong girl. She would do as she wanted, whether her mother agreed or not.

Nine years ago her husband, Alex's father, had been called to duty. As a registered trainer he'd been assigned to a protection detail aboard a ship. One year passed where they heard from him every few weeks. A pokémon would stop at their house and drop a letter before taking off again. Then there was nothing. No one would tell them what had happened or where he was. They couldn't even tell them if he was alive.

And now? Her daughter was about to go off and become a trainer like her father. In her mind, it was as though she'd lost both of them.

A small brownish-orange pokémon stood to the side, his over-sized head cocked to the side as he watched the pair with curious eyes. He didn't fully understand what was going on, but it was clear that he recognized the sadness both felt.

"I will come back," Alex reassured her mother, "But I have to do this."

"You can never tell _anyone_ the truth," Alex's mother reminded her once more, desperately hoping the young girl would change her mind.

Alex nodded, growing frustrated with her mother. Alex was fully aware that women weren't allowed to become trainers. They could own pokémon as a means of protection or for their work, but actually going out specifically to train pokémon was illegal. Alex was fully aware of this information, and she was also aware that the tournaments that she would eventually be attempting to enter were off limits to women. Despite all this, Alex was set on becoming a trainer, of following in her father's footsteps.

Over all the years she still remembered that last day she'd had with her father and his words rang in her ears as she looked at her one pokémon. The Trapinch that had hatched from the egg many years earlier was the only thing she really had left of her father. The thought saddened her, yet it was also part of what fueled her dream.

"I love you, Mama," Alex told her mother, wrapping her arms around her one last time.

"Be careful," her mother told her as they parted. Tears stained her cheeks as she watched her daughter walk to the door.

"Come on, Saheer," Alex called to her pokémon, already partway out the door. The small pokémon hurried to her side as the two set out on what Alex hoped would be a successful adventure.

**Twenty two days earlier**

Three years into her journey and Alex had only just visited Canalave City. In truth, she'd been avoiding it. She hadn't been ready to see the city where her last memory of her father had taken place, but she no longer had much choice. She was close to qualifying for the upcoming tournament. All she had left was to prove her power in the port city.

It was easy enough to do so. What she wasn't expecting, though, was for someone to discover her secret.

She'd battled and won, proving she was ready to truly compete. In order to waste time until the Guardians decided whether or not she qualified she'd gone to the city's archives. It was truly an amazing place. The walls were lined with artifacts, maps, and various ancient pieces of art and throughout the entire building were shelves upon shelves of books containing the history of the region.

She'd been studying an ancient map that had been marked with drawings of what appeared to be sea monsters and treasure chests when three guards entered the building. They spotted her easily and walked across the room straight for her.

"Alex Ross, you are under arrest for deceiving the Crown and breaking the laws prohibiting women from becoming trainers," the nearest guard stated when he was only a few feet away. He stopped before her and the other two guards moved to stand on either side of her.

Before the words were even out of his mouth her entire body had become tense with fear. She'd slipped up. Someone had realized she wasn't what she said she was. It didn't seem possible, but the guards before her made it clear enough. She knew what this meant. Her pokémon would be taken from her, the ones she had sworn to protect, and she would likely be tossed in a cell to rot.

The only problem was that she wasn't about to let that happen. She grabbed one of her Poké Balls off her belt and opened it with a brief flash of light. The pokémon that materialized before them was white with two ice crystals sprouting from her head and a red band around her waist. She floated nearly two feet off the ground so that her head was level with the guards.

Alex shoved past the guard in front of her and ran for the door knowing her Froslass would be able to find her. As she ran, she could feel the temperature in the building drop and heard sounds of horror coming from the guards as they were enveloped by an illusion.

The door was just closing behind her when she collided with a blond-haired boy. He stumbled backwards and looked up at her in surprise. The look in his eyes when he met her gaze was enough to say she'd managed to scare him.

Without bothering to apologize, she took off down the road towards the docks. The air beside her seemed to drop in temperature as her Froslass appeared at her side. Somewhere far behind them she could hear the guards shouting. Several ships came into view ahead of them as they neared the dockyard. She knew she needed to disappear for a while, and her best option seemed to be on a ship. Maybe when people forgot about her she'd be able to return, and until then she would go elsewhere and continue her training.

One of the ships was just being loaded. Several Machamp and Machoke were carrying large crates and barrels aboard a merchant ship and several people were hurrying about trying to get things in order.

"Good job, Frost," she told her pokémon before returning it to the Poké Ball before they'd be noticed.

As she neared the crates she slowed down, trying to avoid drawing attention to herself. She hid behind one of the crates until the pokémon boarded the ship once more. When she was sure no one was looking she pried the lid off of the crate she was beside and pulled herself up and into the crate. She pulled the lid back over until it was as close to the way it was before and lay back. She'd chosen a crate full of apricorns and so her hiding place wasn't entirely comfortable.

Alex felt the crate move after several minutes of waiting. Someone outside, likely one of the pokémon, readjusted the lid and began carrying it across and onto the merchant ship. She let out a quiet sigh of relief when she felt the box become stationary.

Now aboard the ship, she let the tears fall. She'd really screwed things up. Not only was she wanted in Sinnoh, but now she was on a ship with no idea where she was going.

**Present**

Several weeks had passed, though Alex had no idea of how many. Alex had been hiding in the ship's hold the entire time, and was beginning to feel like she'd never see the sun again. Every so often someone would come down to grab something or to check on the condition of the containers. In the past few days it seemed that the number of people coming down had increased which worried her. If they were becoming suspicious of her presence she could be in trouble.

Alex was in the middle of digging through a barrel full of preserved berries when she heard the sound of feet on the stairs leading down into the hold. She jumped back and ran to hide, but it was too late. The person coming down the steps had seen her already and called out for help.

Upon seeing the three large men storming down the stairs each with a Poké Ball in their grip, she re-thought her idea of grabbing one of her Poké Balls. With nowhere to go and being outnumbered she realized that she would have to do this peacefully. She knew it was the safest idea, but she didn't like it.

Moving slowly, she stepped out into the open. Two of the large men moved to either side of her and grabbed her by the arms. They all but lifted her as they took her up to the deck of the ship. The bright sunlight above deck temporarily blinded her, and it took much longer than it normally would have for her eyes to adjust. Even then the light seemed much too bright. The man who had been the first to spot her ran off to find the ship's captain, returning a moment later with another large man.

"We found this stowaway in the hold, sir," the man to her right informed the newcomer.

The large man who was clearly their captain studied her briefly with a cold expression. "He looks a bit scrawny to be of any use to us. Toss him over board," the captain ordered before turning and walking away.

Alex was momentarily offended at the slight, but had more to worry about as the large men hauled her to the ship deck's railing. They lifted her by her arms despite her weak struggle and threw her over the side of the ship.

The water below was cold as she fell in with a splash and went under momentarily. She kicked her way to the surface and watched as the ship sailed away from her, ultimately leaving her there to die. Looking around there didn't appear to be anything else in sight besides open water. It seemed they'd quite literally just dumped her in the middle of the ocean.

* * *

_**I'm not sure how well I did editing (or writing) this chapter. I've come down with a cold it seems and my ability to focus is currently a bit lacking. Reviews always appreciated!**_

_**We got to learn quite a bit about Alex this chapter and not overly much about Sketch or the crew (or Captain Greyson). I don't think I've ever written a chapter quite like this before with so much stuff from the past, so it was kind of a new/fun experience. I haven't decided when I'm going to properly introduce the third protagonist. Also, just a quick note about Sketch, he has existed much, much longer than the idea for this story as a character of mine, and Sketch is not his real name.**_

**Some of you may have been waiting for this, but here's the stuff about OCs.  
****A few guidelines:  
-_Names! Please, please try and use names that actually fit with the story!_  
-I'd prefer it if forms were sent in via PM, that way they're easier for me to keep track of.  
-The form must be used. You are welcome to add sections, but don't remove any.  
-I reserve the right to make minor adjustments so that characters fit in, and to decline characters. Also, they aren't immortal...  
-You can remove anything in brackets.  
-If you submit an OC, don't go and completely disappear.  
-_Make sure you are caught up with the story before submitting an OC, there may be important notes posted later on_.  
**

**The form:  
Name:**

**Nicknames: **(if any, include how they got them)

**Gender: **(Male, unless it is stated under the position that females will be accepted)

**Age:**

**Desired position:** (see below)

**How & where met: **(Keep it fairly simple or just put the location name. Does not have to be where your OC was originally from. Please choose from the following: Sootopolis, Lilycove, Mossdeep, Cianwood, Olivine, Goldenrod, Vermilion, Fuschia, or Pastoria)

**Appearance: **(Hair, clothes, eye colour, special markings, etc.)

**Personality:**

**History: **(Don't go over board. OCs do not have to originally be from the location they are picked up at.)

**Opinion of authority:** (i.e. Captain Greyson, the kingdom, etc.)

**Other:**

**Pokémon: **(I'd prefer a maximum of four, exceptions may be made in certain cases. No legendaries, no pseudo-legendaries, no Unova pokémon, no eeveelutions unless you can be really creative, preferably no starters unless you're really creative/have a god reason, etc. I reserve the right to deny the use of other specific pokémon, especially in the case of too many repeats. Please include nickname if any, bit of personality/behaviour, moves, and gender. There must be at least one pokémon capable of using either Fly or Surf. Try to match them to the crew members position and where your OC was picked up.**)**

**_Available positions_:  
Surgeons/Doctors: **Specializing in helping humans _or_ in helping pokémon. May be female**.  
Cooper: **builds, repairs, and dismantles barrels.**  
Carpenter's mates: **work to repair and maintain the ship and sails. May be female.**  
Cabin Boy: **Basically equivalent to a servant. Ages 12-15. May be female.**  
Gunner: **Will be part of boarding parties and defense of the ship.**  
Sailors: **Self-explanatory.**  
Other: **This is for anyone who wants to be creative. Likely an OC that will never come aboard the ship. Cities mentioned above are good. Canalave City is allowed as well.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

The floating docks and small buildings of Pacifidlog Town were bustling with activity. As Sketch stepped onto the dock he had to step out of the way of several sailors as they walked by carrying barrels between them to a small schooner docked nearby. Not far away from where he was, several workers were carrying lumber and various pieces of equipment to a larger section of dock where a second group was beginning the construction of a new small building.

"Good job, Hurricane," Sketch told the Mantine that was staring up at him quite happily from her place in the water.

"Tiiine," she cooed happily at his words before disappearing into the small blue Poké Ball he'd pulled out.

He tucked the Poké Ball into a small bag hanging from his belt and looked out to see that his crewmates were still a good hundred meters away. Instead of waiting for them, he turned on his booted heel and set off down the dock.

The biggest problem with how the town was set up, in Sketch's opinion, was that you had to weave around on the docks to get to where you were going. This was especially frustrating when someone needed to get to the building that was all the way across the tiny town. It didn't take long to reach the small building either way, but it would have been a lot easier if he could have simply walked straight across to it.

Before him was the oldest building in the small town having been constructed twelve years earlier. The circular wooden structure had faded and looked worn from the constant salty spray and the thatched roof showed signs of disrepair. Beaded curtains hung in the doorway, blowing slightly with the light breeze coming off the ocean and preventing him from seeing inside.

Sketch reached back into the small bag at his belt and pulled out a black Poké Ball. It opened with a brief flash of light, revealing a long bodied pokémon. Its body was mostly tan with several brown rings and a brown head. The Furret shook itself out and stood up on its hind paws to look around at its surroundings with curiosity in its dark eyes.

"Alright, Flynn, you remember the crazy old Zubat of a woman that lives here, right?" The Furret glanced up at Sketch when he started speaking, tilting his head slightly to the side. Flynn nodded slightly in acknowledgement, though his fur bristled slightly at the memory.

The woman he spoke of was very paranoid and held no trust in the king or his armies. She'd started tracking everything the king and his armies did, especially the ships. Due to this, she was an excellent source of information for pirates and criminals for the right price. The main problem that Sketch had found in his dealings with her was that the woman was insane.

Sketch reached out and pushed the beads aside so that he could walk through. Flynn slunk through behind him, muscles tensed and ready for action. The building contained only one room, the space of which matched the outside with its rounded walls and faded wood. Now that they were inside, they could see the two windows that had been boarded up. Small amounts of light came in through the few small holes in the roof and from the entrance making the room rather dark. All sorts of trinkets were strung up around the room or laying on tables or chairs. Everything from Clamperl shells and Gyarados fangs to feathers and shards. Mats had been weaved from different types of seaweed and stretched out across the floor.

Across the room a small figure was bent over a table, bony fingers worked at what looked like an eyeball. It took a moment for Sketch's eyes to adjust to the dim light and recognize that the item clutched in the old woman's fingers was a pearl. Upon the young man and his Furret's entrance, she glanced up at them. Dark eyes mostly hidden in shadows studied them for a moment before she straightened – or straightened as much as she could. A ragged dark grey cloak hung from her thin frame, and her braided white hair stood out against the dark collar and seemed to match her pale face.

"Good afternoon, Kala," Sketch said, watching the older woman carefully.

_Fwoosh_. Something flew past his head, a wing barely missing his ear and causing him to flinch away slightly. A gold and black bug pokémon seemed to materialize on the table beside Kala. Its wings fluttered briefly before flattening against its back.

The woman brushed her hand across the Ninjask's back, her gaze not leaving Sketch's face. "Aye, this one is," she rumbled in reply, her voice raspier than he remembered. "Best enjoy it while you can, won't always be this nice."

Behind him, Flynn's fur rose slightly along his back, and he crouched closer to Sketch's legs. While Sketch's gaze flicked away from the woman every so often the Furret's dark eyes remained carefully fixed on her and her pokémon.

Sketch pulled out a small bag of gold pieces and tossed it onto the ground in the middle of the room. "We need to know everything you've learned about the increase in naval activity," Sketch requested, avoiding the woman's eyes while keeping track of her every move.

Kala dropped the pearl to the table and hurried around from behind the table to snatch up the bag of gold. She spilled it out on the table with a clatter and studied the small pile in silence. One of her bony hands picked up a piece of gold and lifted it to her mouth. She bit down on it with teeth that were darkened with age and neglect. When it didn't bend she tossed it back on to the pile and began counting the pieces. The only sounds in the small room were that of gold pieces being slid across the table and crazed, quiet mutterings from the woman. Several minutes passed before she finally stood back and faced Sketch.

"Fine, fine," she rasped, dark eyes fixed on his face. "This is what you wish to know of." Kala reached into one of the pockets of her cloak and drew out a crumpled piece of paper. She offered it out to him, but made no effort to step forward and give it to him.

Flynn's ears flattened against his head with worry as Sketch stepped cautiously forward to retrieve the paper. The Furret, unlike his trainer, was more than aware that the Ninjask was not the only pokémon in the room. The last time they'd visited the floating house they'd left soaking wet after the woman's Marill had attacked them. That same Marill was currently half-buried and asleep under a pile of dried, treated seaweed. Not far away from the round, blue pokémon a purple and black pokémon was curled up on a blanket in the shadows below the table. Every now and then the dark pearls on its face and midsection would glow ever-so-slightly. The Grumpig was unfamiliar to Flynn, but he knew not to trust it. He especially didn't like that Sketch was now closer to the unpredictable woman and her pokémon.

When Sketch was close enough to grab the paper he stopped and reached out for it. The woman finally moved when his fingers touched the paper. Before he'd even gotten a grasp on it, she'd stepped forward and gripped his upper arm with her free hand. Her bony fingers dug sharply – painfully – into his arm.

Sketch looked up from the paper in surprise. Upon meeting her dark eyes he found himself unable to move. It was as if he was staring into two bottomless pits, or perhaps her blackened, empty soul.

"You will beg for death before you find what you seek," she hissed.

There was a loud crashing sound behind the woman as Flynn crashed into the Grumpig and the two over-turned the table. Its previously glowing pearls dimmed upon being hit by the Furret. Everything on top of the table went flying, clattering to the floor and making a mess. The Ninjask stopped itself right before it could hit the wall, buzzing angrily. The Marill scrambled out of its sleeping spot, water already swirling around its tail as it hurried to assist the Grumpig.

Sketch snatched the paper from the woman's hand and tore himself away, turning and hurrying for the exit. His heart was pounding, and he wanted nothing more than to be as far away from the crazy woman as possible. Flynn hurried away from the three pokémon that were descending upon him, dodging around objects as he tore across the room after Sketch.

The two didn't stop running until they were several floating buildings away from the small house. None of the pokémon had followed them out, much to their relief.

"Thanks," Sketch breathed, scratching the fluffy brown and tan pokémon behind its ears. Flynn visibly relaxed, his fur flattening and his ears flicking forward with contentment. "That woman has completely lost it," he added once he had also relaxed.

"Fur," Flynn rumbled in agreement.

* * *

Despite the blazing sun that hung in the middle of the open sky, the ocean water was freezing cold. As another wave of salty water sloshed over Alex's head, briefly submerging her, she tried to figure out what to do. She had never spent much time in the water swimming, and knew that her arms and legs could only keep her head above water for so long.

There were really only two options. She could give up and let the cool ocean waters take her away. She was far too stubborn to give up, though, regardless of the fact that she couldn't see any signs of land or rescue. The other option, which she was going to go with, was to rely on her pokémon to get her out of this mess that she'd gotten them into.

When she resurfaced she shook her head to get hair out of her eyes, droplets flew from her hair as it plastered itself to her forehead. She reached and grabbed one of the Poké Balls from her belt, checking that all four were there before retrieving the one she wanted. Another wave threatened to overtake her as she released the pokémon held within.

A greenish-blue pokémon materialized in the water beside her. Her wing-like fins moved naturally in the water to keep her mostly round body afloat as she surveyed her surroundings.

"Luuu?" the Lumineon said questioningly, watching Alex with confused pink eyes. She drifted closer to her trainer, allowing Alex to cling to her back and rest.

"Sorry, Adria, I really screwed up this time," Alex told her pokémon. She was relieved to be able to just rest and drift for the moment without having to worry about drowning.

The Lumineon swung her fins back so that she hit Alex lightly on the arm. "Eon," she rumbled, seemingly disagreeing with Alex.

After a moment, Alex pulled out a second Poké Ball and opened it with a flash of bright light. A second pokémon appeared in the air above them. A soft melody drifted through the air as he beat his wings to keep his long, light green body aloft. He looked around in confusion at the open expanse of water before glancing down at Alex.

The half-ground type did not look impressed at the situation they were in. Alex could feel the familiar burning feeling on her cheeks that she knew meant her face was reddening with embarrassment.

"Saheer, would you mind flying up and seeing if you can spot land?" she requested of the Flygon with a sigh.

She could have sworn that the Flygon rolled his eyes at her, but he took off into the air above them anyways. He was a small green speck in the sky within seconds, his wings beating so fast that he shot up. The beautiful melody faded away as he ascended, leaving Alex and Adria with only the sounds of the ocean waves as their company.

Within minutes he came diving back down towards them. When he was only a few meters above them his wings shot out from his body and almost instantly stopped his fall. Looking rather pleased with himself, Saheer circled above them before heading off over the water.

Adria didn't bother waiting for the command before taking off after the Flygon. Alex clung to the Lumineon's back as they cut through the water, feeling relieved that they might just be alright.

* * *

Besides the incident with Kala, the rest of the crew's time at Pacifidlog Town passed quite uneventfully. Sketch had shaken off the incident and was more than happy that everything else had gone well.

The small group of Sketch, Sean, Cedric, Janek, and Hurricane had left the floating town and were almost back at the ship. Sketch sat atop Hurricane, carefully watching the ropes that the Mantine was using to pull the two barrels. The rowboat had a heap of white material and a bag of different threads sitting in the front while the same two men rowed. Janek sat in the back, a burlap sack filled with baking he'd received from his family resting on his lap.

Before them a sleek, powerful ship sat anchored in the water. The sloop-of-war was an impressive ninety feet in length and looked to be in near perfect condition with the exception of the royal and topgallant sails that were currently dangling dangling, shredded, from the mainmast. The ship's dark brown wood paneling stood out against the bright sky and three large masts rose high above them. Near the front, scrawled into the side in silver, her name, _Sea Phantom_, was written.

They brought the rowboat up alongside the ship and watched as a rope ladder fell down to the water beside them. Several ropes fell down from the railing above as well, each one hitting the water with a small splash.

Sketch untied the ropes from Hurricane and carefully tied them up to the new ones that had been dropped. He watched briefly as the barrels were hauled up the side of the boat before turning to help his crewmates.

A large blue pokémon with a large fin sticking straight up from its back came around the side of the ship, only its top half visible above the water. Sitting carefully atop the Sharpedo was a girl. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a braid with a red bandana keeping loose strands back. She wore an open navy blue jacket over a sapphire blue bikini. The bottom of her long black skirt was wet, but she didn't seem to notice as she came closer to the new arrivals. She pocketed the old piece of steel she'd been using to clean the sides of the ship.

A Corphish popped out of the water near the girl, a barnacle still clasped between its claws. It watched to make sure that the new arrivals weren't a threat before disappearing back under water to continue cleaning the ship.

Janek grimaced slightly at the approaching girl before turning and clambering up the rope ladder with his bag of goodies. Unlike many of the younger crewmembers, the older man had difficulty accepting the presence of women aboard his ship. And he truly did think of it as his ship, as he'd been on it longer than anyone else, including their current captain. When their new captain had begun allowing more women aboard the ship he'd fought tooth and nail. Despite it all, though, he chose to remain with the ship and tried to simply ignore them when he could.

Unlike Janek, Cedric and Sean had no issues with the women. In fact, both spent most of their time working with the women with Sean being the new master carpenter and Cedric as the head chef.

"Were you able to get everything?" the girl, Krystina, called out when she was closer.

Hurricane allowed the current to carry her a short ways from the ship, carrying Sketch with her. The gentle creature was putting some distance between herself and the naturally hostile Sharpedo. While she knew the other water-type wouldn't attack her unless his trainer ordered it, he still made her nervous. Sketch let her be, his new position on the water allowed him to monitor his crewmates better anyways.

"Sure did. If you'd help haul it up we can get started fixing those sails right away," Sean said. Sketch noted with amusement that the man's gaze lingered slightly too long on Krystina's revealing clothes.

"If you three can manage things down here, I'm going to go and find Elizabeth so we can get started organizing our new supplies," Cedric said, his hands already gripping the ladder.

When Sketch nodded his permission Cedric began climbing up the side of the ship and hauled his large form over the ship's railing. After he'd disappeared Sean pulled out a Poké Ball and opened it. A Pidgeot hovered above the rowboat, its powerful wings beating the air. Sean passed the bag full of threads to the flying type. Once the Pidgeot had disappeared over the deck's railing he turned back to Krystina, who was stepping rather gracefully into the rowboat despite her long skirt.

While the two worked on getting the heap of white material onto the ship, Sketch set about tying two of the remaining ropes to the front and back of the rowboat so that it could be hauled up once they were done.

"I'm going to go see the captain," Sketch announced before grabbing onto the rope ladder. Before climbing up, he returned Hurricane to her Poké Ball so that she could be away from the Sharpedo.

He clambered up onto the main deck and headed immediately towards the captain's cabin, ducking and dodging around any obstacles and the few crew members currently topside. He rapped lightly on the door and waited for a response. After a moment he heard a faint, "Enter."

He pushed the door open and stepped into the spacious cabin. Half of it, the sleeping quarters mainly, was hidden behind curtains. The other half held a desk, several framed maps as well as many of the captain's treasures and trophies from past discoveries and conquests. There was a general theme of rich reds combined with black or dark brown wood in the room.

Lying beside the desk was a massive black pokémon. Large grey horns curled back from his head and Sketch was very aware of the sharp teeth hidden within his orange muzzle. Its red eyes had opened when the door did and remained fixed on Sketch. Despite the Houndoom's obvious type disadvantage at sea, he was still a terrifying opponent nor did he seem to care that he was on a ship surrounded by water.

Sketch turned his gaze to the woman seated behind the desk. Quinn Greyson, the captain of the _Sea Phantom_. Her grey eyes were fixed on Sketch, and her expression seemed to lack any sort of emotion. A dirty blonde braid was mostly hidden by a black silk bandana. The scar that laced itself up the right side of her face from in front of her ear up through her eyebrow and into her hair line was not so well hidden. In fact, it stood out harshly and turned what had likely once been beautiful into something intimidating and dangerous.

Sketch bowed slightly, keeping his gaze averted. "Captain Greyson."

"What do you have for me?" she questioned, expression unchanging as she studied the boy before her.

Sketch served both as the captain's first mate and as the ship's quartermaster due to the small size of the ship's crew. He'd only acquired the position less than a month earlier and was still growing accustomed to it. In his mind, the position just meant he was the captain's personal assistant. The ship itself was managed by their boatswain and he was fairly sure the master gunner had more power than he did. Though, he was treated with a lot more respect. He was aware that the respect came from the fact that it was his job to decide how much each crew member got when they had new loot. Despite being given such a high position, he couldn't help but be intimidated around Quinn with her strong presence. He was fairly sure that would never change, too.

"Kala gave me this letter," Sketch said, pulling the crumpled paper from his pocket. He flattened it out, noting the red droplets that stained the paper and the claw marks that were reminiscent of a Ninjask's claws. He placed it on the desk before her.

After a quick look over the paper, Quinn glanced back up at him. "Have the crew gathered on the main deck in ten minutes," she ordered, adding dismissively, "You may leave now."

Sketch turned and hurried from the cabin to do as he'd been told.

* * *

_**Krystina belongs to Shadow Serenity 57. Elizabeth (who is yet to be properly introduced) belongs to SweetNTart.**_

_**I have a feeling most readers weren't quite expecting Captain Greyson to be female, or I at least hope I managed to keep that fairly secret... Besides that revelation, this chapter is still a lot of introductory stuff. Revealed what positions Cedric, Sean, and Sketch hold. And the third, and final, main character has yet to be properly introduced, so there's that to look forward to yet.**_

_**Heh heh anyways... Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't be allowed to nickname pokémon. In case anyone is curious, Saheer is named after the Sahara and Adria is named after the Adriatic Sea.**_

_**I know I've been introducing a lot of characters fairly quickly, so if anyone's getting confused please tell me and I'll try to fix it!  
As usual I'd love to hear what anyone thinks! Predictions, critique, opinions, whatever works. I'd also really like to hear what people think of the different characters so far, especially Kala (who may or may not show up again), Quinn Greyson, Sketch, and Alex.**_

**_More OC info: I'm going to try and keep the form up-to-date. You can make changes to your OCs, just shoot me a PM so long as it's nothing major._**

**Important!  
_My computer still needs to get fixed, but I've figured out how to run WiFi to it through my phone. It's a temporary fix for my current situation, but it means I'm trying to limit my internet use as much as possible. As such, I likely won't reply to PMs or reviews until I go home, the date of which I'm unsure of at this point due to work. I will still be able to receive and read PMs and reviews though! I also don't know when the next update will be..._  
**


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